Of Shamans and Miko
by H-Dawg-luvs-anime
Summary: A oneshot series about interactions between Kagome and various Shaman King characters. The genres include family, friendship, and romance. Rated T just to be on the safe side.
1. Blissful Thoughts

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or Shaman King. If I did, would I be posting these on FANfiction(dot)net? They belong to Rumiko Takahashi and Hiroyuki Takei, respectfully.**

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Not all of these oneshots will be romantic. Some will also deal with friendships between Kagome and whoever. Also, these oneshots are not interconnected with each other. They take place in different 'universes."**

* * *

**Oneshot #1: Blissful Thoughts**

**Pairing: HaoxKagome**

* * *

Her mind... interested him, to say the least.

She was either the most pure-minded person he had ever met, or the most naive. Possibly a little of both worlds.

However, it wasn't just her mind that drew him to her.

At first, it was her rare beauty that held his attention. Her long, raven hair, dark as a moonless night; Eyes that rivalled the most precious sapphires could hold the kindest look, but became fiery when angered; Skin so smooth and pale, it seemed to be made from the finest silk. Her well-formed body could draw attention wherever she went. However, recently she had fewer admirers than she would have had a few months ago. No doubt they noticed just who she kept as company.

It was fine by him, though, so long as they knew their proper place.

Her miko abilities were quite impressive, as well. Despite rumours, miko were not as rare as many believe. His mother of this life was a miko, herself. However, it was not very often one came across a miko of great power. When youkai and evil spirits were in great numbers, which had not been so since centuries ago, many powerful miko could be found. In the present, it was pretty much a one-in-one-thousand chance. Imagine his luck when he found that chance.

He would never admit it to anyone, but he was surprised when he heard that she had experience with youkai in the past. The only youkai some one could contact in present were the oni created with enormous negative emotions and, needless to say, they weren't the type to hold regular conversations with. Yet here was a girl who had fond relationships with several youkai of many kinds.

She became even more intriguing after that.

However, the trait that stood above them all was her pure mind. As hard as he could, he could not uncover a single hint of hatred or fear towards anyone on his team. He did find deep sadness, but it was completely unrelated to them. It was connected to a man with silver hair and inu ears (which he found quite humorous) and an older woman who looked remarkably like the girl, but had a cold, deathly aura surrounding her as opposed to the warm, lively glow he was now used to.

He was not a stupid man. He knew what the girl was lamenting.

A lost love. One-sided love. Unreturned love.

He had experienced that feeling many times over his thousand years.

Despite her heartbreak, she showed kindness like he had never seen towards his followers. The Hanagumi grew to like her quickly, though Kanna seemed a little slower than her younger teammates. One didn't have to read minds to know that she utterly adored Opacho. Opacho, too, was fond of the girl, asking her to play or wanting to sit next to her or in her lap. She was the mother Opacho had never had. And the girl saw Opacho as a daughter. He found it rather touching.

It didn't take long for her kindness to start affecting him, as well.

Her small favours, compassionate words, warm aura; they became a drug to him. He simply could not get enough of her. She became angry when he suddenly refused to let her go anywhere without an escort, but let it slide when he explained that he had enemies everywhere and simply did not want her to get hurt.

She really was a naive little girl for believing him. But he found her naivety very cute.

"Hao-sama?"

Snapping out of his thoughts, Hao turned from where he sat and gazed into the eyes of his current train of thoughts.

Smiling, he asked casually, "Yes, Kagome?"

"Well, I was wondering... may I sit with you and watch the stars? I feel like star-gazing tonight," she said, blushing slightly. She really was a lovely little creature.

"You may," Hao said. His smile grew as he watched her sit down while hugging her knees to her chest. His followers' campsite was a little ways from where they were sitting. It was just the two of them.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, content with the quiet of the night and the clear, star-covered sky. Hao knew Kagome wanted to say something, but decided to break the silence first, "Is there any particular reason you came to find me, Kagome?"

He mentally chuckled at the startled jump she made when he suddenly spoke and as she blushed at her reaction. His little miko was so full of life. How could that inu-man – Inuyasha, he remembered – have given up something so rare and wonderful? It didn't matter, though. She belonged to him now, and she would never leave him if he had any say in it.

Kagome looked down at her feet, "Hao-sama, I've been wondering... what do you think me? What am I to you?"

Hao was silent for a moment, thinking over her question. He could lie, say that he only thought of her as another follower, but he had a feeling she wouldn't react in a positive way towards that answer. However, if he told her the truth, he would be doing something he had not done for many years: Opening his heart to others. The very last creature he had ever done that to had betrayed him in the end, causing him to close off his heart from anyone else for what he thought would be an eternity.

However, as he gazed into those beautiful eyes he had so grown to adore, he knew he could trust at least her with it.

"I think of you as my Shaman Queen."

Hao watched in amusement as Kagome gasped lightly and blushed heavily at his bluntness. What a silly little girl. She knew him well enough by now to know that he always went straight to the point. The girl began stuttering rather unintelligently before he decided that he had waited long enough.

Closing the distance between them, Kagome barely had time to give a surprised squeak before Hao pressed his lips onto her own, kissing her in a very possessive manner.

* * *

Meanwhile, hiding behind a rather thick bush, the Hanagumi and Opacho were watching the show with wide eyes (except Mari, since she appeared emotionless).

Opacho looked up at the Hanagumi curiously and asked, "Does this mean Opacho will have a little brother or sister?"

The look on Kanna and Machi's faces (Mari still looked rather emotionless) were absolutely priceless at the child's innocent question.

* * *

Indeed, Asakura Hao would make Higurashi Kagome his Shaman Queen.

He wanted her, and Hao always made sure he got what he wanted.

* * *

**And that's it for the first oneshot! Send in any requests you want for pairing oneshots with your reviews (except for Faust, since Eliza's the only apple of his eye). I will even do a pairing more than once, but I may need ideas from you guys depending on if I'm braindead.**

**Anyway, thanks for reading and no flames please! Spirit of Fire is the only one to make flames in this place. Right, buddy?**

**SoF: RRRRAAAAAAUUUUUURRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!**

**See? He agrees. :)**


	2. Kawaii

**This pairing was requested by UrusaiBaka, but it's also a tribute to The Amazing Sakumachan and her awesome Shaman King / Inuyasha fic. She's the person who got me interested in this pairing, actually.**

**For disclaimer, see first chapter.**

**NOTE: To clear things up, "kawaii" is Japanese for "cute." There's your lesson for the day. :D**

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**Oneshot #2 – Kawaii**

**Pairing: YohxKagome**

**Genre: Romance**

* * *

It was a bright and sunny day. A very hot day, as well. The cicadas were chirping noisily in response to the hot temperature outside. Any sane person would spend the day out of the heat with a cool beverage in his or her hand.

Try convincing one Kyoyama Anna that. Yoh certainly tried.

All he got out of it was extra weights and a red handprint on the side of his face. At least he tried.

After three straight hours of running in that god-awful heat, Yoh couldn't take it anymore. Finding a conveniently-placed bench on the side of the road he was running on, he stumbled to it and collapsed on the surprisingly (but not unwelcomingly) cool wood.

Taking enormous gulps of much-needed oxygen, Yoh spoke aloud, "... I ca... can't run... anymore... Need rest!!" Moving slightly so he was sitting instead of lying down, the heir to the Asakura family continued to breathe heavily while attempting to feel any non-existing breezes in the air.

"Man," he sighed, "what I'd give for some water right now."

"Excuse me?" a feminine voice suddenly spoke.

Yoh opened his chocolate eyes and was met with blue ones. They belonged to a pretty girl who was around his age, give or take a year. Her black hair was pulled up into a high ponytail, but looked like it could reach her lower back if she let it loose. She had a fair complexion, lightly tanned in a way that showed she got outside, but not for long periods of time. Her attire consisted of a sky blue, spaghetti-strapped top and short, blue jean shorts.

_'Kawaii,'_Yoh thought as a small blush covered his cheeks.

The girl, however, seemed to mistake the red in his face as a flush from the heat, as she hastily held out a medium-sized bottle of water to him. "Here, you seem to need some water more than I do," she offered.

Eying the bottle as though it was something sacred, Yoh immediately took the offering and chugged half of its contents in one breath. The girl sweat dropped at the sight, but giggled at the boy's antics.

Handing the bottle back to the girl, Yoh smiled with tears streaming down his face, "Arigatou. You're a saint."

"It was nothing," the ebony-haired girl said off-handily. "You looked like you were practically dying so I decided to help." Her face gained a curious look as she asked, "Why are you running in this heat anyway? It's too hot for that kind of activity, and with weights, too," she added the last bit when she took notice to the weights strapped to Yoh's wrists and ankles.

_'You've never met someone like Anna,' _Yoh whined in his head. Outwardly, he replied, "It's a long story, but I can say that it's for my own well being."

One dark eyebrow arched upward. "Okay...," the girl said slowly. A smile formed on her lips as she said, "By the way, I'm Higurashi Kagome."

Yoh returned her smile. "I'm Asakura Yoh," he said. He realized something a second later, "Wait, do you live at Higurashi Shrine a couple of kilometres from here?" He received a nod in reply. "What are you doing this far away in this heat?"

Kagome's face gained an irritated look. "I'm looking for a pain in the posterior that ran off because he suddenly had a craving for ramen," she ground out through gritted teeth.

The brown-haired youth tilted his head slightly in confusion, "You have a brother, Kagome-chan?" he asked.

Kagome sighed, "Yeah, but he's not even near the level of trouble as the guy I'm talking about. He's about a foot taller than you, has long silver hair and he's wearing a baseball cap and an outfit that looks like it's from a past era."

"You mean like him?" Yoh asked, looking off to Kagome's left and pointed in that general direction. Kagome whipped around, causing her ponytail to smack into Yoh's head and making him fall off the bench. As the dazed boy recovered from the unexpected assault (could he even call it that?), he heard the girl call out 'Inuyasha' and footsteps running away from the bench. Shaking his head, Yoh refocused his eyes on the interesting sight of Kagome and the man (was his name Inuyasha?) in a very heated match of verbal tennis. Both the males began to tremble at the dark and dangerous look Kagome's face suddenly gained. _'She... She's as scary as Anna when she's mad!'_Yoh thought in fear. With a quick cry of 'Osuwari!', Inuyasha's face had a painful meeting with the gravel. Yoh blinked in surprise at what just happened. _'Shaman powers?'_ he wondered.

With a few last poisonous words Kagome huffed and turned to walk back to Yoh. Smiling with a rather sheepish look on her face, she said, "Sorry about that, Yoh-kun. Inuyasha can be a real nuisance at times."

"That's okay," the boy said while putting his usual smile back on. "Hey Kagome-chan, are you a shaman?"

The ebony-haired girl looked startled for a moment before replying, "N-No, I'm actually a miko. Are you a shaman?"

"Yep," Yoh said, still smiling.

"Well, I should be going. I have to get Inuyasha back home before he causes a bigger ruckus," Kagome said half apologetically while she threw another glare at the silver-haired man in question. Inuyasha blew her a raspberry in response.

"That's okay," Yoh said. "Maybe we'll run into each other again. Just remember to bring a water bottle, just in case." He was only half-joking on that last sentence.

Nodding, Kagome held the bottle out to Yoh. "Keep this. If you're going to continue running, you'll definitely need it more than I will."

The boy took the bottle from the girl, blushing lightly at the offer and when his hand brushed slightly over her own. "Arigatou, Kagome-chan."

"You're welcome. See ya, Yoh-kun!" Kagome smiled as she waved and ran off, Inuyasha following reluctantly behind her.

Yoh watched as the two of them disappeared around the bend. He held a little closer to his body.

_'Definitely kawaii,'_ he thought.

* * *

Weeks passed, and Yoh was once again at that particular bench, this time in the middle of the night. This was it. He had to tell her tonight.

He was having a hell of a time sneaking past Anna just to hang out with Kagome. If anything, these meetings with Kagome were making him stealthier. The risk was worth it, though. She was a lot of fun to be around.

He managed to introduce her to Manta and Amidamaru to her without trouble. They became fast friends, despite the fact that Manta only reached her knees and that Amidamaru was a spirit. She was such a kind person.

That was probably one of the many reasons why he fell in love with her.

"Yoh-kun!" a familiar voice called out to him. Turning slightly from where he was currently sitting, Yoh watched as Kagome made her way towards their meeting place. It was a rather cool night, so she was wearing a light green jacket. Her hair was let down in contrast to the first time he was her.

Taking a deep breath, Yoh stood up and waited for Kagome to reach the bench. It was now or never.

"Kagome-chan," he hesitated slightly after her name, but decided to venture on, "there's something I need to tell you."

Kagome tilted her head to the side, looking confused. However, she said nothing.

Yoh took it as a sign to continue, though he wondered if he was going to pass out from stress before he could get it out. "Well... you see I... We've only known each other for a few weeks, but... uh..." _'Crap,'_ he thought, thoroughly tongue-tied.

Now Kagome looked concerned. "Yoh-kun, are you alright? You don't look so good. You're face is really red," she said as she lifted her hand to feel his forehead.

Yoh quickly waved his hands in front of his face, saying, "No, no! I'm fine! It's just... well..." He was never really good with these situations.

... Wait, had he _ever_ been in a situation like this before?

Sighing, the brown-haired youth shook his head. _'Time for Plan B,'_ he inwardly decided.

Reaching down, Yoh picked up the plastic bottle Kagome had given him the first day they had met. However, instead of water, there was a rolled-up piece of paper in it.

A message in a bottle. Corny, but it did the trick.

Handing it to Kagome, Yoh waited anxiously as she unscrewed the top and poured the paper out of the bottle.

Unrolling the paper, Kagome read the simple message. She was silent for what seemed like forever. Yoh's heart was pounding so hard that he thought it'd explode. Millions of thoughts were running through his mind. What was she thinking? Would she reject him? Would they still remain friends if she did? What was she thinking? Didn't he already ask himself that?

"Yoh-kun...," Kagome said softly, sounding like she was about to cry, "is this... do you really mean it?"

Resolving himself, Yoh put on his trademark smile and responded, "Yep. I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't mean it."

Kagome dropped the note, though neither one paid any attention to it as it fluttered to the ground, exposing the words 'I love you' to the world. The ebony-haired girl clasped her hands together tightly as tears of happiness fell from her eyes. "Yoh-kun, I also... I love you, too. You've always been so kind to me. You're... You're so special."

Yoh pulled the girl into his arms and hugged her affectionately. He gave her a quick, innocent kiss on the lips before pulling away and smiling at her. He suddenly had a scary thought. "Oh God, what are we gonna tell Anna?!" he cried, terrified.

Kagome lifted her head from his shoulder and smiled at Yoh, saying, "Don't worry, Yoh-kun, just let me handle it." Was it just him, or was a dark aura surrounding her?

Yoh became more terrified at the thought of the two girls meeting each other face-to-face. _'Kowaii!'_ he thought.

* * *

Hiding behind a tree, Amidamaru and was also growing afraid of the event that was about to come. _'Yoh-dono, you seem to have a tendency for attracting dangerous women,'_ he mentally mourned for his friend.

Inuyasha, who was right beside the ghost (though he had no idea, given his lack of spiritual awareness), shook his head sadly. _'Good luck, kid,'_ he thought.

* * *

Who would have thought that one could find true love just from having water offered to you by a kawaii girl?

* * *

**Owari**

**I think YohxKagome is such a cute pairing! I really hope more stories about these two come out in the future. By the way, "kowaii" means "scary."**

**SOF: RRAUUURR?**

**Hey, I think HaoxKagome is great, too! I did my first oneshot in this series on them, remember?**

**SOF: GRRRRRRR!**

**Hey! None of that language in this room, mister! Anyway, keep sending in your requests. I want to get a few more different pairings out before I do any repeats. And don't forget I want some pairings that have to do with friendship and familial love, okay? Not just romance. So please send in some of those ideas, too. And specify what genre the pairing is so I don't misunderstand.**


	3. Oniichan

**Welcome to another instalment of "Of Shamans and Miko." To be perfectly honest, I'm surprised at the amount of reviews this story has. It's wonderful that people are enjoying these stories!**

**SOF: RRAURR?**

**And, let's not forget my friend the Spirit of Fire! He's my muse, believe it or not. By the way, is it Hao or Lyserg that commands you at the present?**

**SOF: RUARRR.**

**......... They have joint custody? ::Sweat drop::**

**SOF: ::Nods::**

**... Okay~. Anyway, this is my first non-romance oneshot for this collection. Special thanks to the anonymous reader fan of fic for the suggestion. And for the disclaimer, see the first chapter.**

**Also, a little WARNING on this chapter: There's quite a bit of language in it. C'mon, this is ****Ren**** we're talking about!**

* * *

**Oneshot #3: Onii-chan**

**Pairing: RenxKagome**

**Genre: Family**

* * *

Higurashi Kagome. No, not anymore.

Tao Kagome was her name now. All because of an affair her mother had with some super-wealthy man from China. Great going, Mom.

Kagome was currently standing in front of giant, red double doors. The entrance to her new home. They had 'creepy' written all over it. Not only that, but the castle was isolated in the middle of the god damn mountains!

'_Goody,'_ the fourteen-year-old thought sarcastically, _'I'll be living miles away from civilization with people who probably live by the old Chinese traditions. What have I gotten myself into?'_

Kagome began searching for a doorbell of sorts to be let in. However, not two seconds after her search started, the doors began creaking open by themselves. If Kagome wasn't freaked out before, she was now.

'_Okay! Okay. Okay, Kagome, there's nothing wrong. Just walk inside, don't look around and find your dad.'_ Kagome chanted in her head, walking through the gates with stiff legs. _'See? Nothing's happening, just keep walking...'_ So caught up in her thoughts, Kagome failed to see a figure standing in her path. It took her physically bumping into it for her to finally come out of them.

Kagome quickly backed away and bowed three times in apology. She then lifted her head to apologize to the person's face. "I'm sorry, I wasn't looki...," the girl's words were lost to her when she got a _good_ look at the 'person' in her way. "Z... ZOMBIE!!!" she screamed in terror before taking off in a random direction.

Behind her, Bailong sweat dropped at the girl's antics and scratched the back of his head. "The young one has much to get used to while living here," he muttered.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the garden, Tao Ren was busy training with his Bao-lei Sword. Anything to take his mind off of the new family development.

'_It's disgusting!'_ Ren thought in anger. _'Father actually having an affair with some random woman from Japan? Where the hell's his honour?!'_ The scion had been in a sour mood ever since he heard the news a week ago from the current head of the family. His mother had forgiven him quicker than he had thought, knowing her husband was a very different man now. Jun took a little longer, but she was rather excited at the thought of a younger sister.

He, on the other hand, would rather go to Hell (again!) than forgive the man for this. _'Now we have some half-blood wench coming to live with us,' _Ren bitterly said in his mind. Unlike his older sister, he had no intention on welcoming the girl into the family with open arms or any of that crap. How was he supposed to be nice to the eternal symbol of his father's betrayal to his mother?

Ren was brought out of his thoughts by a piercing scream.

"Z... ZOMBIE!!!"

Ren turned in the general direction of where the scream came from. "What the hell was that?" he asked to no one in particular.

"I think that was your younger sister, Bocchama," Bason said as he appeared before the young scion.

"I don't have a...," Ren cut himself off when the realization came to him. His raised eyebrow immediately morphed into a scowl, "Oh. Her."

Bason picked up the increasing volume of running footsteps. "Bocchama, the youngest mistress is coming this way."

"Let her wander," Ren turned away from the direction he was once facing. "I have better things to do. And don't call her 'youngest mistress.' She's not a real member of my family."

"But... But Bocchama, she's –,"

"I told you –,"

_CRASH!!!_

Ren was silenced by a sudden black blur that ran into him and knocked them both to the ground. He laid there for a second, completely winded, before he grew aware that whoever was on top of him was suffocating him with her ... assets. Instinctively, Ren pushed the girl off of him with enough force to throw her completely off his body. Blushing lightly at what happened before, the boy sat up and looked at his assailant.

She was a tiny thing; smaller than he was, anyway. Her long, black hair reached mid-back. Her skin was lightly tanned and her blue eyes were scrunched up in slight pain. She was currently wearing blue jeans and a white t-shirt.

Ren scoffed; if this girl was half-Tao she certainly didn't look the part. He could see no resemblance to any of his family members. Though Jun's eyes were blue they were not the same shade as this girl's. Her sense of fashion was cheap, too.

And so, Ren started off their first sibling conversation:

"Watch where you're going, wench."

Immediately, the girl's eyes shot up to glare at the boy.

"The name's Kagome, jackass."

Ren's tongari began to grow.

"What did you call me?!"

"Jack. Ass! Don't tell me you're stupid as well as rude!"

"Look who's talking, you little bitch!"

"How DARE you!"

"I DARE as I want!"

_SLAP!_

_PUNCH!_

_BITE!_

_KICK!_

_OTHER PAINFUL NOISES!!_

When their 'little' spat was over with, Ren was convinced that this Kagome did have Tao blood in her. Her slaps hurt like a bitch.

First impressions, indeed.

* * *

Kagome sighed as she gazed into her mirror. Six months.

She had spent six months with the Tao family.

Despite the slight intimidation she felt when she first arrived, she grew to like living with them. Ran had welcomed her warmly like she was her own daughter and not from another woman. Kagome grew to like Jun the fastest out of the Taos. Both were teenage girls, after all. Grandfather Tao and Father worried her a little bit, but eventually warmed up to them.

Kagome got reacquainted with the kyonshii, Lee Bailong and continuously apologized for her outburst at the gates. Bailong said it was nothing and that he was sure anyone would have that reaction from seeing the walking dead.

Then there was Ren...

Kagome scowled at the thought of her older half-brother. Ever since their first meeting he had been nothing but hostile towards her. Usually it was verbally, like calling her names and making snide remarks about her appearance, weight, fighting prowess, etc. Then it would sometimes evolve into the occasional physical brawl. She had to admit Ren was a pretty good fighter. However, she had some fighting experience, too. Neither one of them would give up until someone (namely Jun) came along and broke them up.

Kagome couldn't understand why the boy couldn't be at least civil to her. Was that too much to ask for? Apparently so. He never even said her name once since she arrived.

Even Souta wasn't this much of a pain and he was seven years younger than Ren.

'_Souta...'_

Kagome's eyes started to tear up at the thought of her mother and brother back in Japan. Though the Taos were very nice and she had grown to love them, she just couldn't let go of the family she had to leave behind. Maybe not being treated well by Ren intensified the lonely feeling.

Not a day went by that she did not wonder how they were doing. Was Souta doing well in school? Was Mama's work going smoothly? Did Souta do well in his soccer games? Did they miss her as much as she missed them?

Sometimes she thought about running away to the nearest airport and flying home just to see them, but then what about the Father and the Taos? No matter what she thought of, she could not think of a smooth solution to her homesickness.

'_Maybe a walk in the gardens will do me some good,'_ Kagome thought.

* * *

Ren sat on a bench in his family's garden, simply thinking about that pain in the ass, otherwise known as Kagome. For the past six months the brat had wormed her way into his family members' hearts and he couldn't understand how. To him she was just an annoying little witch who didn't know her place.

He had to admit, though, she was one hell of a sparring partner. The problem was that once they got started there was no stopping the attacks until someone else in the family stopped them. Jeez, women were crazy. You say one thing about their hair being a mess from bed head or their clothes were too tight and they think it's the most insulting thing in the world to hear. **(A/N: Sound familiar to what Kagome said earlier? Oh, the wonders of different perspectives. XD)**

Still, there was something off about the way she acted. Some of the smiles she flashed for Jun and the others seemed... fake. Her eyes also carried sadness in them, maybe loneliness. Why the hell would she feel lonely? She practically had the whole Tao family (minus himself, of course) keeping her company.

"Bocchama."

Ren turned his head to his spirit. "What is it, Bason? I'm thinking here."

Bason bowed his head, "My apologies, Bocchama, but the Young Lady Kagome is approaching."

Ren gritted his teeth in frustration. "I've told you hundreds of times too many," he growled, "none of that 'Young Lady' bullshit. She doesn't deserve a title." It was the truth. Bason had developed a habit of calling the girl 'Young Lady Kagome' no matter how many times Ren told him not to. Even Bason was being taken from him by that brat.

Getting up from the bench, Ren turned to Bason, "We're leaving before she gets here. Come on."

Bason's red eyes widened as he started shaking his hands around frantically. "But Bocchama –," he started.

"No buts Bason!" Ren growled. "Now co–," For a second time, Kagome cut off Ren's sentence by running into him. Once again he was winded, squashed in her bosoms, and then he pushed her off of him. _'Do we always have to meet in the gardens this way?'_ he wondered in frustration. "What are you doing here, wench?"

Kagome got to her feet and glared daggers at the scion. "I don't think that's any of your business, Ren."

Ren lifted his head in an important way, "When addressing me, it's 'Ren-sama.' Get it right, woman."

Kagome didn't back down, but raised herself to her full height (not very impressive when comparing herself to Ren) and lifted her chin in pride. She countered, "Well then, when addressing _me_ you use 'Kagome.' Get _it_ right."

Narrowing his eyes, Ren got in the girl's face and said coldly, "But you need to take into account the social status, something that you are sorely lacking in."

Growling, Kagome pushed Ren back and yelled, "What is wrong with you?! Seriously, I try to be civil with you, but you turn it around and practically slap me in the face with insults! What do you want from me?!"

"I want you to leave me the hell alone! I never asked for an annoyance like you to pop out of some easy woman that my father decided to put his marriage aside for a night so he could have a good lay!" Ren shouted back, letting his six months worth of frustrations out. "I had just recently forgiven him for the torturous things he had done to my family and me for our whole lives and then out of the blue, you come strutting in like you own the place and suddenly you become everyone's little Miss Perfect!"

A loud _slap_ could be heard around the garden.

Ren's head was turned to the side with a bright red handprint on his left cheek. He stayed in that position in shock for a few moments. He had been slapped by Kagome before, but he never felt so much emotion in them until this one. He turned his head back to face Kagome. What he saw shocked him.

Kagome's hand was still held in mid-air, slightly red from the slap. She was panting heavily as if she were hyperventilating. The big change, though, was her eyes. He had never seen the girl cry before. Sad, yes, but never cry. Here she was though, tears streaming down her angry-red cheeks and dripping off her delicate chin.

"You can insult me all you want," she hissed out through sobs, "but don't you dare say anything horrid about my mother! She's a good woman and raised me and my little brother well, even after her husband passed away. You'll never meet anyone stronger than Mama and if you say one more insult to her good name you'll regret ever meeting me."

Turning around, Kagome bolted from the garden. _'I hate him,'_ she said in her mind. _'I HATE HIM!!'_

Ren simply stood in the same spot, one hand on his abused cheek and an unusual emotion in his eyes. One could have sworn it was guilt.

* * *

Five days later, Kagome was going through a depression. She wouldn't leave her room and hardly ate anything. The Tao family was becoming anxious at the child's declining health. Nothing they could say could bring her out of it.

Ren stayed far away from the girl and quickly changed the subject whenever her name was mentioned to him. He couldn't let them see the guilty look in his eyes.

Jun, however, had a way about knowing her brother and quickly put two and two together. She had to do something about the two half-siblings.

* * *

Jun approached her little brother in a calm manner and a stone look. Ren cringed and quickly turned back to his weights. He knew when she walked to him with that stride and face he was in trouble with her.

Stopping, Jun faced her brother's back and asked in a stern tone, "Ren, what did you say to Kagome?"

Ren froze for a second, mentally cursing his sister's intuition before returning to his training. "I don't know what you're talking about Nee-san. Last time we fought it was the usual badgering," he lied. He felt ashamed that he was lying to his dear sister, but when she was angry... yeah. Not good.

"I know it wasn't the 'usual badgering' as you put it," Jun countered. "Nothing of that sort would have caused Kagome this much anguish. It had to be something very personal." Suddenly it all came to Jun. "It was about her Japanese family, wasn't it?"

'_Double damn!'_ Ren cursed. He said nothing to counter it. Now that she knew, anything he said would dig him an even deeper grave.

"Ren," Jun gasped, appalled by her younger brother's actions, "I can't believe you would say something like that! No one should take insults that far!"

Turning around, Ren glared at his older sister. "She was pissing me off! She has been since the moment she set foot into my life. All of you treated her like a goddamn princess when all I saw was a stupid little outsider!"

"And how do you feel now that she's not talking to you? Do you feel happy that she's depressed? Proud?" Jun asked.

Ren was silent. No, he wasn't happy. No, he wasn't proud. He wanted her to leave him alone, but he didn't want her to suffer. And after her outburst...

"Why should I care?" he asked in a tone that was almost cold. Almost. Jun had caught the flaw in it.

"Because, like it or not, Kagome is your little sister and she needs her older brother to apologize to her. For her," Jun said, a pleading look on her face.

Ren thought for a moment, eyes closed. Jun began to worry that she had not gotten through to him, but all doubt vanished when he opened his eyes and nodded, "Fine."

* * *

Ren quietly closed the door to Kagome's bedroom before walking towards to sluggish figure on the bed. Cringing at the pitiful sight, Ren felt that familiar wave of guilt wash over him. _'Did I do this to her with only a few careless words?'_ he wondered. Maybe Chocolove wasn't the only one who should keep his mouth shut at times.

The scion slowly sat down on the edge of the bed, not wanting to startle Kagome. "Hey," he said, "are you awake?"

The girl shuffled slightly so that she was half-facing Ren, a grim look on her face. "What do _you_ want?" she asked, putting an emphasis on the 'you.'

"Listen," he started, "That stuff I said a few days ago... sorry about that. I don't really know what made me say those things."

"You were frustrated," Kagome said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I'd probably say something similar if had you're temper," she said, a smirk coming to her face.

"What the... HEY!!" Ren exclaimed softly, his tongari growing slightly. _'Take a deep breath, Ren,'_ he mentally instructed himself. _'Don't let your temper get to you this time.'_ Doing so, his tongari returned to normal size as he calmed down.

The room was silent for a minute before Ren started to speak, "You mentioned you had a brother, right?"

Kagome raised an eyebrow, "Yes... why ask?"

"What's he like?" he asked casually.

Kagome was even more curious now. Was _Ren_ actually trying to have a normal conversation with _her_? Will wonders never cease.

"His name's Souta. He's about six years younger than me. He loves to play soccer and is on our town's pee-wee team. He can be kind of bratty, but he has his sweet side, too. He looks a lot like Mama, though come to think of it, people say the same about me, too," Kagome rambled on, but a soft smile started forming at the fond memories of her little brother.

Ren watched and listened to the fourteen-year-old on the bed. '_She really does love her family,'_ he concluded as he observed her. "What about your mother?"

Kagome continued to smile softly. "What can I say?" she asked. "She's the best in the world. Her cooking's to die for, her bedside manner is amazing, and she raised Souta and me perfectly. Her husband died in an accident when she was still pregnant with Souta, but she kept pushing on for our sakes. If you met her, you'd understand."

"Sounds like you had the good life, Kagome," Ren said. In an instant Kagome sat straight up and looked at Ren in wonder. "What?" he asked, slightly weirded out.

"You've never said my name before," Kagome said.

Ren blushed lightly at his half-sibling's words and turned away to hide it. "I-It's nothing to be all giddy about!" he said with a bit more volume than he intended.

Kagome giggled. "Thanks for talking to me, Onii-chan," she said gratefully.

If possible, Ren's cheeks became even redder. Clearing his throat in an important way he said as snobbishly as he could, "It's 'Onii-sama' to you, Kagome."

"Whatever you say, Onii-chan."

"Damn it!"

* * *

A few weeks later, the shamans decided to have an unexpected reunion... at Ren's place. Ren was a little peeved, but the rest of the family welcomed the group graciously as 'Ren's friends.'

A couple of hours after the uninvited guests arrived, a couple of the single males took notice to an unfamiliar, but cute face was in the crowd. Striding over to Ren, Horohoro and Ryu asked the short shaman, "Hey, Ren, who's that cute girl? Is she your girlfriend?"

Ren turned to the two shamans and glared at them, "No, she's my little sister and I would recommend that you don't even try it."

"She's WHAT?!?!?!" they cried in shock. "When did you get a little sister?!"

Ren smiled as he gazed at the girl in question. "Fifteen years ago. From a mistake that turned out wonderfully in the end," he said fondly.

Ryu and Horohoro were even more confused, "Huh??"

Ren said nothing more and walked away from the two bewildered shaman.

* * *

After eight months of knowing her, Ren didn't like Kagome.

He loved his little sister dearly.

And he had gotten used to the term 'Onii-chan' instead of 'Onii-sama.'

* * *

**Super-long oneshot is finished!!!! ::Party streamers appear::**

**SOF: ::Holds up sign saying "BIG WIN!"::**

**Some of you are probably wondering why this one is so much longer than the other two. Ren's a bit of a complex character and I don't think he would take having a half-sibling too well, considering his love for his family and his brashness. It would take a while for him to get used to that person.**

**I'm thinking about doing a friendship oneshot next before starting on another romance fic. I've got the character in mind, but see if you can guess who it is in your reviews. If you get it right, I'll mention you in the next chapter. Ja ne, folks!**


	4. The Tall and Short of It

**Hey there, people! Good to be back.**

**SOF: MMMMRRRR.**

**Here's the surprise friendship chapter! The person is...**

**SOF: ::does a drum role::**

**MANTA!! Surprised? The one person who got it right was hieikag, so they get a virtual cookie! A big thanks to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, and / or alerted this story so far. I'm so happy that you guys are enjoying this. An author, amateur or otherwise, loves to hear praise as well as constructive criticism. As a special treat, I have invited a guest from last chapter – Ren!!**

**Ren: ::looks around:: When did I get here?**

**Just now! Say hi to the nice readers and do the disclaimer!**

**Ren: Go to Hell.**

**...**

**Bason: H-Dawg does not own either series mentioned in this story nor does she own the any of the characters mentioned. She is merely an unemployed girl who would rather read online stories than actually do her university work... did I read that right?**

**Yep.**

* * *

**Oneshot #4 – The Tall and Short of It**

**Pairing: MantaxKagome**

**Genre: Friendship**

* * *

Kagome walked briskly through the halls of her high school as classes were let out for the day. Too bad she had cram school to attend before she could go home.

Cursing under her breath, the teenage girl picked up the pace while reviewing the work she had to do after cram school, "Get on the train, get home, feed Buyo, finish homework, wash uniform to get ink stain out – No better do that as soon as I get home,..." Kagome kept rambling on without really realizing that someone had stepped into her path. She probably wouldn't have noticed anyway, as he wasn't even as tall as her knees...

Manta had just stepped into the hallway to head for his cram school classes. He was reading a fairly thick book as he walked. So interested in his book, the young man was completely oblivious to the much taller girl that was about to collide with him...

"Kyaa!" Kagome screamed as her legs hit something that made her lose her balance. The object screamed, too, as it was almost crushed by her legs. _'What was that?!'_ Kagome thought as she used her arms to prevent having her face hit the dirty, stone floor. Catching her lost breath, Kagome turned her head to see a _very_ tiny person with blond groaning in pain as he lay on the ground, pinned by her legs. "Oh!" she squeaked as she quickly got off of the boy and knelt next to him. "Gomen nasai! I wasn't looking where I was going. Are you okay?"

Manta shook his head to clear it as he heard a girl's voice. Looking up, he blushed lightly at the view of a very pretty girl kneeling next to him with a concerned expression. Gulping lightly, he nodded his head. He had never really been this close to a girl that he did not know before, not counting Pirika's hug when she thought he was Kororo.

Kagome sighed in relief. "Thank goodness. I thought I had squashed you. No offence, but you're really tiny," she said with a sheepish look on her face.

Manta puffed his cheeks in indignation. _'I know I'm small!'_ He mentally yelled in his head. Sighing slightly, he met her eyes with a small smile, "It's okay. I get that a lot. At least you're not teasing me about it."

The girl gasped lightly. "Why do they tease you. You look adorable with your size!" If she was trying to make him feel better it was not working. Guys did _not_ want to be called 'adorable.'

Handsome? Yes.

Cute? Maybe.

Adorable? Rather degrading.

Kagome noticed the deadpanned look on the boy's face and realized he was probably rather sensitive about his height. Sweat dropping, she put on an apologetic smile and said, "Gomen. You're probably embarrassed by stuff like that."

"It's okay, really. I've never actually been called adorable before. It's kinda new to me."

"Still... Oh, shit! What time is it?!" Kagome suddenly yelled.

Manta's head shot up. Oh, no...

"CRAM SCHOOL!!!" the two teens yelled as one. In two seconds the two teens were racing down the nearly deserted hallway in the same direction.

As they ran, Kagome turned to the tiny blond. "By the way, what's your name?" she puffed.

Still facing the hallway ahead, Manta panted out, "Manta... You?"

"Kagome."

And so a friendship was forged with laboured breath.

* * *

"So you live on a shrine, Kagome-chan?"

"Yes," the girl smiled down at the boy walking beside her. She still found it a little hard to believe that she was the same age as her. He was the same size as Shippo, who was small even for a seven-year-old! She mentally giggled at the image of Manta with kitsune ears and a little, bushy tail wagging behind him. "It's been passed down through my family for generations. Right now my grandfather owns it, but he will probably pass it down to either me or Souta in the future."

Manta looked at the train schedule on the wall of the bullet train station. Good, he didn't miss his train. Turning back to the black-haired girl beside him, he grinned as a thought came to his head, "Hey, my best friend actually has a family tradition kind of like that. It's a whole estate, but he's so lazy he'll probably sleep through the entire ceremony to pass it down to him." _'Unless Anna-san gets after him,'_ he thought with a slight quiver. Nothing got Yoh gunning quite like Anna could. It was like having a devil at your heels...

"Looks like my train's here, Manta-kun," Kagome sighed, bringing Manta out of his thoughts.

"Oh," Manta said, a little disappointed. It felt good talking to someone as a friend again. Ever since the Shaman Fight ended and Yoh and the others separated to go try and make the world a better place in the eyes of Hao, he hadn't really had any companionship to turn to. It was getting very lonely. He received letters from Yoh quite a bit, but it wasn't the same as actually having Yoh beside him, hanging out like they used to. Watching the clouds, eating ice cream and burgers, taking things the slow and easy way. The good old days without life-or-death situations or major responsibilities.

However, they were not kids anymore and had things they needed to do. While Yoh and the others had their own duties to attend to, Manta was determined to do his part, as well. He would find a way to bring the shaman world and human world together in cooperation. If it meant being separated from his closest friends in the short run, he would do it. He had to show Hao that humans could do the right things, too.

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Manta turned to Kagome and grinned. "I'll see you tomorrow, Kagome-chan," he said.

"Bye, Manta-kun," Kagome bid farewell to her new friend as she went to board her train.

* * *

Unknown to Manta and Kagome, they had been followed by a few of their male classmates. Now both of them were glaring at the small blond who was waving goodbye to Kagome.

"I can't believe that hot, new girl is hanging with that midget! What's so special about _him?!"_

"Shut up, Hiiro! We can't get him here. There are too many people. We'll wait for him to be alone after school tomorrow. Doesn't he have that cram school shit to go to?" Rei whispered to his fellow friend.

"Kagome goes to that cram school, too, idiot! They could walk together for all we know," Hiiro whispered back in a harsh voice, his jealously spitting venomously as he said the word 'together.'

"Then we'll ambush him tomorrow morning, before class starts. That'll teach him to mess with _our_ girl," Rei said with so much confidence in his voice. After all, what could the pipsqueak do to defend himself?

"... Fine, but I want the first punch."

"Deal."

* * *

The next day Manta was jogging to school. He would be arriving earlier than expected that day, meaning more time to chat with Kagome before classes began. He still could not believe that he had another friend to talk to, after so many years. _'Maybe, since she lives in a shrine, she might know about shamans...'_

Turning a corner, Manta ran face-first into a black pant leg and fell backwards from the impact. Groaning slightly, he looked up and immediately started to shake in fear.

Staring down at him, both with hateful and cocky looks on their faces, were Takuya Hiiro and Fujiwara Rei. They were known as both the school bullies and the school womanizers, the difference depending on what gender you were. Needless to say, Manta had been a routine target of their ridicule ever since he started at the school. However, he had a sinking feeling that this meeting was going to be very different and much more painful...

"F-Fugiwara-san... Takuya-s-san... Good morning..." Manta tried to sound as casual as he could while staring at the two giants, but he still stuttered slightly. Getting onto his feet again, he made a move to try and walk away, but was stopped by a large hand grabbing a fistful of his light-coloured hair. Giving a small cry of surprise and pain, Manta tried to shake himself free from the hold, but was not strong enough to do so.

"Wait, Manta-_kun_," Hiiro said in a casual tone. Too casual for a person who was holding a person by their hair. "We just wanted to _talk_ to you. It's rude to just walk away when a person wants to _talk_," As Hiiro spoke, he tightened his grip on Manta's hair, causing the boy to cry even louder before Rei slapped a hand over his mouth to muffle the noise. The bullies dragged the small boy into a dark alley, out of sight from any person who happened to walk by.

Once they were certain that no one would see them, the bigger boys threw Manta to the ground roughly, resulting in a small 'oof' from the blond. Manta quickly scurried back, but hit a wall that seemed determined to keep him at the mercy of the bullies in front of him. If they even had any mercy.

'_Oh, God,'_ Manta thought, starting to panic.

"So, Oyamada," Rei sneered, "you think you're so high up in the money that you think you can buy Kagome's attention?"

Manta's eyes widened at Rei's words. "Wha... What are you talking about? Kagome-chan and I are just friends," he said. _'And she wouldn't want anything to do with you jerks!'_ he wanted to shout, but thought better about it. If he could come away with one less bruise because of it, he wouldn't say anything too harsh to these guys. They were _not_ playing around this time.

"Oh, really?" Hiiro asked. Tilting his head slightly, he smirked at the smaller boy while saying, "So you wouldn't mind if we... hung out with her, would you?"

Standing up straighter, Manta countered, "She can be friends with whoever she wants. I can't control her life like that."

"Oh, we don't want her friendship. She's too hot for that stuff. Now, if she wanted a quickie... that would be awesome," Hiiro said.

Manta just stood for a moment, shocked at Hiiro's words. His face suddenly twisted into an angry expression and he shouted, "How _dare_ you say that about Kagome-chan!! She has more self-respect and dignity than that, you bastards! If you try anything with her I swear I'll-"

Manta lost his breath as Hiiro kicked him in the gut and sent him flying into the wall behind him. Manta quickly curled himself into a ball and clutched his aching stomach while coughing and wheezing for air.

"You'll what, midget?" Hiiro sneered, watching in sick satisfaction as Manta tried to collect himself.

"MANTA-KUN!!" a familiar feminine voice screamed from the entrance to the alley. Rei and Hiiro turned around and saw Higurashi Kagome looking down at their victim with a terrified expression. "What did you do to him?!" she cried.

Rei smirked at the beautiful girl just in front of them. "Just putting him in his place, babe."

Kagome's scared face soon morphed into one of hate. Settling her fiery blue eyes on the two bullies, she hissed, "You bastards... How dare you hurt my friend?!"

Manta opened his eyes to look at his new friend with worry. His eyes became wide as he saw a faint pink aura begin to surround Kagome. _'Sh-Shaman magic...? No, it doesn't feel... like Yoh-kun or the others...'_ Manta lifted his gaze to Hiiro and Rei's profiles. They still had their superior looks on their faces. _'They... can't see it.'_

Suddenly Kagome lifted her hands, palms facing the perpetrators. The pink aura expanded and flew at the targets with enough force to knock them right through the wall that had prevented Manta form escaping them earlier. They didn't even have time to scream before they were knocked out cold.

Seeing that the attackers were not going to wake up anytime soon, Kagome once again focused her attention on Manta's small body. She ran towards him and carefully picked him up into her arms. "Manta-kun, are you okay?" she asked with so much worry in her voice he almost felt guilty.

Smiling slightly, though blushing at his position in his friend's arms, the blond nodded and said, "Yeah, don't worry. They only got one kick in on me. Though my stomach does hurt a little." He suddenly gained a confused look on his face. "How did you know where I was?"

"I was walking by the alley when I heard you start yelling at those jerks." Kagome paused before she continued, "Manta-kun, did you mean what you said before, when you were defending me?"

Manta thought back to when he started threatening the bullies to not go after Kagome. He smiled at little when he thought about how he was either stupidly brave or bravely stupid for saying stuff like that to men that could probably crush him under their feet. "Of course, Kagome-chan. With the way they were talking about you... I just couldn't let them get away with their words. I know it was pretty dumb, but you're one of the few friends that I have. I have to defend you in some way. I wouldn't be much of a friend if I didn't."

The next thing Manta knew he was being hugged tightly by his new friend. Peering to the side, he could only see Kagome's black locks of hair as she whispered, "If I could count anyone as a friend it would be you, Manta-kun. Thank you."

The blond could hear the tears in her voice, so he lifted a small arm and wrapped it around Kagome's shoulder as much as he could. Smiling softly, Manta closed his eyes and said, "No problem, Kagome-chan."

* * *

Isn't friendship all about standing up for the one's you care about?

* * *

**::sniff:: I almost started crying as I finished this. Manta's such a great guy. Even if he is a bit cowardly at times, he knows when to step in and defend a friend. ::sob::**

**Ren: God, you are such a sap.**

**Shut up!**

**::ahem:: Anyway, I've decided I'm going to do one more friendship story before moving on to the other genres, so hang tight and keep sending in those requests! I won't leave you in suspense this time and tell you straight out that it'll be a FaustxKagome friendship chapter. A couple of people have been wanting me to make one for a while, so I've decided to grant their wish. Keep your eyes peeled for it! Ja ne!**


	5. Comfort

**I'm back so soon? Wow. Apocalypse sign. Anyway, here's my next 'shot. Would you do the disclaimer honours, Spirit of Fire?**

**SOF: GRRRAAUUR MMMMM RRRRR AAAAAAUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRR!!!!**

**Translation: H-Dawg does not own either Inuyasha or Shaman King. Thanks pal!**

**WARNING: Very sad and bloody ending. Read at your own risk!!**

* * *

**Oneshot #5: Comfort**

**Pairing: FaustxKagome**

**Genre: Friendship**

* * *

"Wha... What am I going to do, Miss Kagome?" seven-year-old Johann Faust VIII sobbed as he cried into the young woman's lap. "She's so... so nice to me and she's... dying. Father says that it is... ho... ho... hopeless!"

Kagome smiled sadly at the bespectacled child and stroked his soft, blond hair in a comforting gesture. Little Faust always ran to her when he needed someone to talk to, as he had no other friends. "Shhh... it's all right, Johann," the foreign woman spoke softly. "Something may happen and a cure might be found. Eliza is not dead yet, so there is still time. As long as there's life, there's hope."

The boy lifted his head from the girl's lap and gazed at her with blue eyes that were currently bloodshot and puffy from tears. He had a hopeful expression on his cubby face. "Are you sure, Miss Kagome? Will Eliza get better?" he asked.

"I'm sure," the older girl said, a small smile on her face. "And if you stay by her side, she'll get better even faster. It's better to have someone who cares about you with you while you go through problems. You have to be there for her."

"Just like you are always here for me, Miss Kagome?" Faust asked as a smile crept onto his face.

Kagome nodded, "Just like I'm always here for you, Johann." She gave the boy a quick hug before setting him on the ground. "Now you had better go see her before visiting hours are over. You can tell her that you'll stay with her through her sickness. That will surely make her happy."

Faust smiled brightly up at his friend before running out the door. "Thank you, Miss Kagome!" he yelled back at her.

* * *

"Miss Kagome! Miss Kagome!" Faust yelled as he ran into the woman's house. The eight-year-old could not wait to tell Kagome what he wanted to be when he grew up. "Miss Kagome?"

"I'm in the kitchen," a familiar voice called from the other room. Grinning, the blond child speed walked into the kitchen and dining area and saw the tall image of his friend standing by the stove. By the smell it was obvious that she was cooking that miso soup again. Faust didn't mind, though. The foreign dish was actually quite good. He vaguely wondered if his father would allow him to eat dinner with her that night, but then remembered what he wanted to tell Kagome.

Straightening himself to his full (but still not very tall) height Faust asked, "Guess what I want to be when I grow up, Miss Kagome."

The girl turned around and smiled at her young friend before holding a finger to her chin in a thinking pose. "Hmmm.... let's see... Are you going to be a policeman?"

Faust shook his head, "Nope!"

"Then how about an author?"

"Still not right!"

Giggling lightly, Kagome lowered her hand and said, "Okay, I give up. What do you want to be?"

Faust held his fists to his hips in a superhero pose and stated, "I'm going to be a doctor! That way I can be by Eliza all of the time and I can find a cure for her, too. Its two stones with one bird!"

Kagome laughed at his error. "The phrase is 'two birds with one stone,' Johann."

The boy pouted before saying, "I knew that."

"So," Kagome started, "it's for Eliza's sake? That's so thoughtful of you, Johann."

"Thank you," Faust said, blushing at the praise. His face suddenly took on a saddened look. "But I have to wait a lot of years before I can even begin to study for medical school. Eliza might not be able to live that long."

The older woman kneeled down to the child's level and hugged him close to her. "It's going to be okay, Johann. We don't know that for sure. As long as you keep to your path, you will reach your goal in no time at all. Both Eliza and I will be there for you."

Faust looked right into Kagome's blue eyes and asked, "You will?"

"Of course," she said. "What are friends and girlfriends for?"

Faust blushed and started spazzing out, "G-G-Girlfriend?! Eliza's not my girlfriend!!"

Kagome smiled in a teasing way. "How did you know I was talking about Eliza?" she questioned.

The blond boy just kept stuttering his denial in a very comical way. Kagome's smile grew bigger as she watched. _'Eliza Faust... a very good name,'_ Kagome thought, going into matchmaker mode.

* * *

"Johann! Eliza!" Kagome wove her way through the crowd of wedding guests as she approached the newlyweds.

Said newlyweds turned their heads at the sound of their older friend's voice. Faust smiled at seeing Kagome. He could not be happier than at that moment: he was a successful doctor, had just married to the woman he had loved since before he even knew about love, and his best friend was able to attend his wedding.

"Kagome!" Eliza called as she waved at the woman. Kagome could not believe how beautiful the blushing bride was that day. She had much more colour to her face now that she was cured from her crippling disease. Her long, blond hair was lightly curled, looking like flowing sunshine. She looked like an angel.

"Congratulations, you two," Kagome said as she hugged both man and wife. "Didn't I tell you that you would end up getting married? Listen to your elders once in a while," she joked.

"It's truly amazing just how accurate you are at predicting things," Faust said while shaking his head in amazement. He could remember how Kagome used to tease him about marrying Eliza when he was a child. He denied it, of course, but as time went on he began to realize just how much Eliza meant to him. It just added to his determination to become a doctor and find a cure for his beloved.

Kagome stayed true to her word and stayed by his side the whole time. When he had hit a dead end she kept him going and comforted him if he needed it. Faust knew he would not have found his happiness if it hadn't been for her guidance.

"So...," Kagome drawled. Eliza and Faust knew that tone so well. Teasing time was on. "When can I expect the pitter-patter of little feet when I visit?"

The woman laughed at the flustered faces of the Faust's. They stuttered slightly and kept saying, "In due time."

"I'm kidding, you two," Kagome reassured as she waved her hand around in a brush-off way. Recomposing herself, the black-haired woman said, "Actually, if you will follow me, I have a surprise for you both."

As the three of them walked and conversed, Faust vaguely noticed that they were going outside of the wedding reception building. Curious about what Kagome had on her mind, he kept shifting his blue eyes around to see if he could spot anything that might give him a clue.

When Kagome suddenly halted her steps, Faust and Eliza stopped, as well.

"Kagome, what do you have on your mind?" Eliza asked.

Kagome turned her head and smile before telling them to close their eyes and keep them closed. Doing so, Faust could hear the rustle of leaves and a strange whimpering noise. He kept his eyes closed, though, trusting his friend.

"Johann, Eliza... Open your eyes."

Following their instruction, the couple blinked in surprise and Eliza gasped.

Kagome stood in front of them with a small, squirming puppy in her arms. By the look of it, the puppy was a purebred Doberman Pinscher. Eliza was instantly at Kagome's side and petting and cooing at the tiny animal. Faust also came close and stroked the dog's head. It leaned into his touch and started to lick his hand.

"Kagome...," Faust started, pausing slightly to laugh as the puppy kept squirming to be put down. "You're giving it to us?"

His friend nodded and readjusted her hold on the dog, hoping that it would stop moving around so much, "Yep and it's a boy, so no really girly names, okay Eliza?"

The bride nodded and giggled at the accusation.

Faust hugged both his bride and old friend in happiness. "Thank you so much, Kagome."

* * *

Faust made his way to the clinic that he and Eliza had opened. He was walking a little faster than usual for two reasons: one was that the ominous clouds above him threatened to release rain at any moment. The other was that he was a little late at getting to the clinic. Tonight was a special night, though, so he had to hurry. Kagome was visiting them for the first time in a month and he could not wait to see her again. It was a tragedy that his and Eliza's work kept them from keeping in touch with their old friend, but it simply could not be helped.

Kagome completely understood, though, and was grateful for the times when they could get together for a chat. She even agreed to meet with them at the clinic this time. Faust couldn't help but think that the woman had the patience of a saint.

Faust could see his clinic just up ahead and began walking a little bit faster. It was not until he had reached the gates that he noticed that the lights were not on. Odd, considering that the lights should still be on at that time of night. As he walked even closer, Faust's heart started to pound at the sight ahead of him: the door was ajar. Neither Eliza nor Kagome forgot to close the doors, as it kept the wind chill out.

The man sprinted the rest of the way to the front doors and swung the door open the rest of the way. His heart stopped beating at the gruesome sight that met his eyes.

The floor was covered in blood. It spread out and streamed along the cracks in the floor, creating rivers of hideous red. Three prone figures lay on the ground; the sources of the blood. One was significantly smaller than the other two and Faust whimpered at the sight of his and Eliza's little Frankensteiny, his fur coated with his own life-sustaining blood. The dog's eyes were open, eternally staring ahead of him and at nothing.

Faust scrambled to the other to bodies (both women) and sank to his knees next to his lovely wife and best friend.

Eliza had a bloody bullet hole on her forehead, but most of the blood was coming out from behind her head: a through-and-through. She was dead. His lovely Eliza, whom he had dedicated his whole life to and cherished so dearly, was dead.

After they had worked so hard to cure her of her deadly illness, she was still dead.

"Uuuh... J... oo..." A soft voice barely called out on the other side of him. Faust quickly turned his attention to Kagome. She was not in very good shape, either. Blood was bubbling from her lower abdomen and was coming out from behind her, too. She also had a bullet go right through her body. She was slowly dying.

"Ka-Kagome...," Faust stuttered with a tremble in his voice. He quickly took off his coat and put it under her body, trying to staunch the flow from her exit wound. He used his hands to put pressure on her entrance wound. He had to save her. At least his best friend. He had-

"Jo... hann...," Kagome said, her voice just barely above a whisper. "Eliza... is she..."

"Don't talk," Faust instructed sharply. He had to save her. He had to save her.

Kagome did not listen to him and kept talking, "... I'm s... so proud o...f you... Johann... You..."

"Please... just please don't talk," Faust said, panicking when he felt her pulse starting to slow down. Too slow. He had to save her. He had to save her.

"... I'm sorry... I... can't be...... here...... for you...an...... any...... more..."

"Please... Kagome, please..." Had to save her! Had to save her! Had to-!

"Johann.............................................................................................."

"...............," Faust's eyes stared with silent horror into Kagome's. No longer were they filled with life or happiness, but were empty and glazed over with death. He couldn't save her. He couldn't save her. He couldn't save her.

* * *

Faust had hit a dead end.

And this time there was no one to comfort him.

* * *

**::crying her eyes out:: I'm so sorry! I didn't want to end it like this, but it seemed to fit! ::crying again::**

**SOF: ::Hands her a tissue::**

**Anyway, please read and review. ::sniff::**


	6. Bunny Hill

**Horohoro: What's up, everybody! Everyone's favourite blue-haired shaman has made it to the scene! To all of my adoring fans, thanks for waiting for my turn while this lazy auth-**

**AUTHOR... PUUNCH!!!!**

**::Horohoro flies off into the sky, star twinkle::**

**SOF: ::holds up score sign saying '10.0'::**

**Never insult a sleep-deprived, caffeine-deprived PMS-ing woman, Horo!! ::turns to the audience:: Hello, everyone and welcome back. As you probably guessed, it's Horohoro's time in the limelight. To make up for the tragic (but surprisingly popular) story last time, I decided to do Horohoro because he makes everyone laugh! I've already decided that these next three oneshots will be romances and I've already picked the pairings. The two after this one are going to be listed following this story. Take it, Yoh!**

**Yoh: ::smiles:: H-Dawg does not own Shaman King or Inuyasha. Shaman King and related characters belong to Hiroyuki Takei-san and Inuyasha and related characters belong to Takahashi Rumiko-san. Oh, before I forget... ::Yoh holds a cappuccino up for H-Dawg:: That's a little something Hao told me to give you for babysitting the Spirit of Fire.**

**::Grabs the cup and glomps Yoh:: Bless you twins' little hearts!! Saviours!!**

* * *

**Oneshot #6: Bunny Hill**

**Pairing: HorohoroxKagome**

**Genre: Romance**

* * *

To Horohoro, there was nothing like snowboarding down powdery-white slopes to get your adrenaline running. The cold, crisp air filling his lungs, the wind rushing past him as he sped down the hills... it was amazing.

Currently, he was racing down said slopes, whooping as he went. Kororo followed right behind him, a large smile on her cute face. Just as Horohoro neared the bottom he looked up...

... And swore he saw a celestial maiden come out of the visitors' lodge.

She was gorgeous! He could see that perfect body even through her winter clothing. Her long black hair let loose in the wind... beautiful sapphire eyes sparkling in the sun and snow... pale skin, but not too pale... cute mouth, cheeks, nose... she was perfec-

BAM!

Maybe Horohoro should have kept his eyes in front of him. If he did, he probably would have avoided the tree he had just run into. He didn't seem to mind all that much though. He may have just found his ideal girlfriend at long last!

* * *

After the medical staff made sure the blue-haired teen was okay (save for the band-AID across the bridge of his nose), Horohoro was huddled with Kororo just outside of the lodge.

"Okay, Kororo, this is my chance to finally get a girlfriend. I can't screw this up!" he said dramatically.

"Koro Koro!" the tiny spirit said, nodding her head excitedly.

"Now, how am I going to get her to notice me?" he pondered out loud.

"Koro!" Kororo said and started poking at his snowboard that her shaman had set aside for the moment.

"This is no time for games, Kororo. I need to think," he scolded, not getting her hint.

Kororo face palmed at the teen's obliviousness. Grabbing hold of his jacket's collar she dragged him to the edge of the building and turned his head in a specific direction. Horohoro saw his celestial maiden a few yards away and blushed at her appearance. _'So cute,'_ he gushed. Though for some reason, he could not help but think she looked a little familiar.

"Oh, wow!" the raven-haired beauty spoke in awe. Horo almost melted at the sound of her voice. _'She even sounds beautiful!'_ "Look at all of these great boarders. They're good enough to be professionals." The girl said.

A few seconds after hearing her speak, a light bulb practically appeared above Horo's head. "That's it! I'll just show her my sweet moves and she'll be all over me for a date! It's fool-proof!" he shouted.

Kororo face palmed again. She had meant for him to notice that she was stuck on the Bunny Hill novice course and he could help teach her. That way he would have at least been able to talk directly to her. Then again, critical observation had never been her partner's strong point.

* * *

Blue Boy was now standing at the top of the expert-level course and looking down at the lodge through binoculars (where did he get those, anyway?). He saw the girl of his hour-long dreams was currently facing in his direction by coincidence. This was his chance!

Stuffing the binoculars into the fourth dimension, he pushed himself off of the edge he was resting on and whooped as he started down the hill. Kororo followed right behind him while freaking out. Horohoro, despite all of his bragging, was only at the intermediate level. If the dough head got clumsy on this course he'd die! All she could do now was hope he didn't mess up. Fat chance of that happening.

Horo sped down the slope with wide, excited eyes. If this did not impress his future girlfriend than nothing would. He was about halfway down when _it_ happened.

Horohoro felt the need to sneeze. Bad.

He tried holding it in, but you know how that doesn't work without using your hand. So it got out.

Kagome heard a rumbling sound coming from the expert course. In curiosity she turned around to see what was making that noise. What she saw made her eyes widen into the size of dinner plates.

A giant snowball was rolling down the hill at an amazing speed. People were running, skiing or boarding to the sides to get out of its way. Kagome saw a very small figure floating behind the giant ball and surmised that it was a spirit. Quickly picking up her snowboard and ran in the direction it was heading.

Horohoro was dizzy as hell by the time the snowball he had started (and was currently trapped in) came to a stop. All he knew was that he had to dig himself out before he suffocated. Starting in whatever direction was in front of him he moved his hands quickly and began to dig. About halfway through, he saw that someone was digging on the other side, as well. The gloved hands met with his own hands and grabbed hold of them. They managed to pull him out of the small tunnel and into the light. Panting lightly, Horohoro looked up to thank his helper and quickly became tongue-tied.

His saviour turned out to be the very girl he was trying to impress. He felt his face becoming hot and couldn't think of anything to say.

"Are you okay?" the girl asked in concern. "That was quite the trip you had. How about we get you back to the lodge?"

Horohoro simply nodded as she helped him to his feet and they walked back to the lodge together.

"By the way, your spirit is soo adorable!" the girl gushed. Horohoro looked at her curiously before he saw Kororo sitting on the girl's shoulder and smiling.

'_She can see spirits? Kororo likes her?'_ Horo asked to himself. _'She's even better than I thought!'_

* * *

Back at the lodge, Horo got checked by the medical staff... again. When they said he was all right (and told him to stay safe for at least a day), the blue-haired boy and the raven-haired girl decided to have some hot chocolate outside. As they sat in a half comfortable silence, Horo had no idea what to say to his half-day crush. He wanted to have a conversation with her, but he did not know where to start.

"So, do you come here often?" the girl asked.

"Uh, yeah. I, uh, live near here," he said softly. "What about you? I've... never, uh, seen you before."

The girl turned to him and smiled, "This is actually my first time ever snowboarding. I'm visiting with my family."

"Really?" Horohoro said, surprised. Another light bulb lit up in his head. "Maybe... I could teach you the basics. You know... if you want me too. 'Cause you, uh, you don't have to, but, uh, I was just wondering-,"

"Sure," the girl spoke, cutting off the boy's rambling.

Horo blinked a couple of times at her sudden answer. "... Okay then."

Behind them, Kororo pumped her small arm in a triumphant 'yes' manner. Finally, things were going to go well...

"By the way, I never got your name. I'm Usui Horohoro."

"Oh, I'm Kagome. My family name used to be Higurashi, but now it's-,"

"_Kisama_."

All three of the bench's occupants froze at the familiar voice. Two out of the three did in fear of the _very_ familiar and _very_ deadly voice.

"Onii-chan!" Kagome called in happiness.

'_O... nii... chan?'_ Horo thought in fear. His neck slowly craned around to look at the person behind the group.

"H-Hi, Ren," Horohoro squeaked. "What a c-coincidence s-seeing you here." It had been a long time since he had seen his friend look as murderous as he did at the moment.

"Horo," the Tao scion said casually. Too casually, "mind telling me what you are doing with my little sister?"

"_Y-Your_ sister?" Horo said in shock. When did he... Horo then remembered the party a couple of months before. The cute girl, Ren's threat... _'So that's why she looked kind of familiar.'_ The blue-haired boy concluded.

"I'm going to kill you!" the heir yelled before charging at Horohoro with his qwan dao (which had miraculously repaired itself and had jumped out of the fourth dimension) swinging. Horohoro screamed in fear and quickly took off in the opposite direction. Both boys ran from the lodge, leaving a confused Kagome and two exasperated spirits behind.

"Umm... Bason-san, Kororo-chan... what just happened?"

"Fear not, Youngest Mistress, Bocchama is simply testing to see if Horohoro is the right man."

"Koro Koro Ko!"

Kagome simply blinked in confusion.

* * *

Horohoro found the girl, who would later become his wife, on the Bunny Hill.

That very same day he found out who is in-laws would be. He vowed never to make Kagome cry for that very reason.

* * *

**Heh heh. I love it! I bet you weren't expecting this to crossover with my previous oneshot 'Onii-chan,' were you? I thought I would surprise you there.**

**Now, my next two romance oneshots are as follows:**

**RenxKagome (it's been asked of me for ages, so I'm going to give the fans what they want!)**

**YohxKagomexHao (Heh. This one's been in my mind for a while now and someone requested it, so I'm going to try it out.)**

**On the plus side, university is almost over for the summer, so I may be able to update more. I will have a full-time job, though, so I do not know for sure. Here's hoping!**


	7. Hello, Nurse!

**Hello, fellow Kagomex(insertcrossoverpairing) fans! Here's the next instalment. Sorry about the rather large delay. I've had finals, moving, working at a summer job, social events... Yes, I actually have a life as surprising as it is!**

**Hao: ::smiles:: At least you remembered us. You wouldn't want me to have to **_**remind**_** you of our existence, **_**right**_**? ::smile turns sinister::**

**::SOF and H-Dawg clutch each other in fear:: N-No, there's no n-need for that, H-Hao.**

**Ren: Can we get on with this? I have to make fun of the stupid accent 4Kids gave me on YouTube.**

**Right, Ren! Now is the moment several of you have been waiting for: RenxKagome!**

**Ren: Oh, God no.**

**Hao: And after that, I have a threesome along with my Otouto.**

**Ren: NANI?**

**Hao: H-Dawg does not own any of the characters mentioned in the story, or the series' that the characters come from. If she did try to own me, I'd burn her alive.**

**Ha! Nice try Hao, but SOF is a pal and would never harm me! Right, buddy?**

**SOF: ::simply looks at H-Dawg::**

**... Crap.**

* * *

**Oneshot #7: Hello~, Nurse!**

**Pairing: RenxKagome**

**Genre: Romance**

* * *

"For the last time, I don't need to visit the hospital."

"C'mon, Ren, my icicle gave you more than a simple scratch. Look at the blood!"

"It's only a flesh wound."

"Well those wounds are gonna be 'wound' by banda-,"

"Finish that lame joke and I'll run you through with Bao-lei."

"... Can't I lighten the mood a bit?"

Two voices shouted a definite 'No!' that echoed down the white-washed hallway. Team The Ren were on a mission to find someone to treat their stubborn self-proclaimed leader's arm, which now sported a deep gash that was dripping crimson blood stains on the floor. Training went a little overboard when Ren and Horohoro began trading insults and harder blows. A particularly nasty remark on Ren's behalf nearly had him skewered by a giant icicle. His speed accounted for him being alive at the moment, but he still received a good-sized wound to his right arm.

Ren, being the type of boy he was, 'assured' his teammates that he could look after it himself. Horohoro and Chocolove knew better than to trust his word. If they did, he would have bled-out before going to the hospital.

They had grabbed hold of the scion (literally, Horohoro had him by the feet and Chocolove had grabbed his arms) and carried the Tao, kicking and cursing (Tao's never _scream_), to the hospital on the island. Their method of transportation gained quite a few awkward looks from onlookers that made Ren curse even more and demand to be put down.

The team was now in the hospital and Ren's cursing had toned down to incoherent mumbles and grumbles with the occasional 'kisama' thrown in. A doctor had told the group to head to a specific room and he would send a volunteer nurse to help bandage the Tao's arm.

* * *

Ren was currently sitting on a cold operating table with his arms crossed and a pout on his face (though he would never admit to pouting). His teammates were stationed outside of the room to keep watch for the nurse. It was a good thing, too, because he did not want them to see him nervously drumming his fingers on his arms. He would never admit to it, either, but Ren was nervous of public hospitals. Growing up, he had always had private doctors to look after him and his sister. In his mind he saw that public hospitals were unsanitary and noisy. The doctors were too prying and the nurses were impolite. If it were up to him, he would never even set foot into one.

So caught up in his brooding thoughts, he didn't hear Horohoro or Chocolove's exited gasps or their babbling about themselves (and their phone numbers). He did not hear the door opening and closing or the soft footsteps that approached him. He did, however, hear a soft feminine voice greet him.

"Hello, Tao Ren is it?"

Ren immediately snapped his eyes forward and was greeted with the most beautiful pair of blue eyes he had ever seen. His own gold eyes travelled along the nurse's pleasing face and amazing body. She had to be at least three years older than him and boy did she look it! The young woman was filled out in all the right places with just the right amount of curves to catch any man's attention. Her hair was jet-black and fell to her mid-back. Her head had a small nursing cap on it. Her outfit consisted of a forties-style nurse uniform, the skirt ending a few inches above her knees. Ren had been staring at the girl for so long that he almost missed her asking if he was alright.

The scion snapped out of his haze and confirmed that he was fine.

"Okay then," the nurse smiled, nearly causing Ren to blush, "My name is Higurashi Kagome and I will be your nurse for the day. May I take a look at your arm, Tao-san?"

Almost robotically, Ren lifted his arm as he continued to observe the beautiful woman now known as Kagome. She had begun to wrap his arm in gauze when he noticed how soft her hands were, like the gentle brush of the finest silk. He truly had a hard time keeping the redness that was threatening to color his cheeks down. He had never let a female other than his mother, sister and the specialized nurses they hired to touch him before. Kagome's fingers kept brushing his skin every-so-often, sending both shivers and sparks up and down his body.

Ren had no idea what the heck was wrong with his body, or if something was wrong at all. He had never had this feeling before, so he was pretty lost.

When Kagome finished the wrapping his arm she gave the younger boy a gentle smile. "There you go, and here's a kiss to make it better," she said before she dipped her head down and kissed Ren on the cheek. Pulling away, she turned and left the room while saying, "Take care, Tao-san!"

* * *

Horohoro and Chocolove watched as the hot nurse left the room, paying close attention to her swaying hips as she moved.

"I think I might hurt myself just to be in _her_ care," Chocolove muttered.

"You and me both, brother," Horohoro agreed.

The boys decided to peer into the room to see how their teammate was doing when they stopped dead in their tracks at the strangest sight they had ever seen.

Ren was still sitting on the table, in the same spot they had left him. His face was completely red and his golden eyes were wide and rounded in almost perfect circles. His uninjured hand was gently touching his left cheek in an almost wondering way. The strangest thing about the scene was that his purple tongari had grown so high it was almost touching the ceiling.

The two boys outside of the room looked at their comrade, then to each other, then back to Ren.

"Looks like Ren just discovered hormones," Horohoro said.

Chocolove nodded.

Ren didn't seem to notice.

* * *

About five hours later the boys were back in their hotel room. The blunette and comedian were busy beating each other up via videogames while their Chinese companion sat on the couch looking at his arm, or more precisely the bandages covering his arm.

After hours of contemplating his feelings he decided that he liked the feeling he got from that nurse. He liked it a lot. And he wanted to feel it again.

"Oi, bakas," Ren said to his teammates.

"What is it?" Chocolove asked, not taking his eyes away from the screen.

"Let's get back to training," Ren ordered.

The other two boys turned and looked at Ren in shock. "What? But you'll probably get hurt again!" Horohoro shouted.

_'Exactly!'_ Ren shouted in his mind.

* * *

Ren decided that he liked hospitals, after all.

So long as they had extremely attractive and nice nurses there.

... Hey, he was a growing boy.

* * *

**And there's Ren's romance done! Now onto the threesome couple!**

**SOF: ::holds up sign saying 'YohxKagomexHao'::**

**Please continue to send in your reviews and requests and I will see what I can do to make them happen.**

**Hao: ::smiles:: In other words, she's a review whore.**

**HAO!**


	8. Between Us Brothers

**Well, here it is. My first threesome – YohxKagxHao! I hope everyone likes it.**

**SOF: ::holds up sign saying 'H-Dawg-luvs-anime does not own Shaman King or Inuyasha. The stories and characters belong to much more talented people. She doesn't own me, either.'::**

**Sad, isn't it? **

* * *

**Oneshot #8: Between Us Brothers**

**Pairing: YohxKagomexHao**

**Genre: Romance**

* * *

The Asakura twins, despite their different views on the world, had several similarities.

One that everyone could agree on was their laid-back personalities. Neither wanted to do too much during the day... or night. However, a certain Itako made sure at least one of them was 'training,' as she called it ('Torture' is what everyone else could see). The other twin just sat back and watched his little brother suff... er... 'train' with a large grin on his face.

Another was their appetite for curry bread.(1) Both Yoh and Hao had a taste for the bread item and during their coffee time at the Patch Cafe, though no one was around to see it, they fought over the last piece. A spontaneous combustion on a bit of Yoh's hair quickly decided the victor.

Another trait they shared was one only they themselves knew. They were both in love with the same girl. And the kicker was it wasn't Anna (Yoh always shivered in fear at the thought of Anna ever finding out about it).

Actually, their first meeting with the girl was the day they had coffee together at the Patch Cafe...

* * *

Kagome looked up from the table she was wiping when she heard the bell at the door ring. Running to the door she quickly bowed and greeted, "Welcome to the Patch's Cafe! Have a seat and enjoy our special brew of coffee!"

The two boys in front of her were around her age looked strikingly similar to each other. _'Probably twins,'_ she thought absently. There were a few key differences, though. One looked slightly taller than the other with hair that reached his lower back. The other had short hair and wore orange earphones over his head.

Yoh blushed lightly at the cute girl in front of him. She had long, black hair and bright, blue eyes. Her face looked childish, but in a way that it suited her. The uniform she was wearing was a cream-coloured, short-sleeved shirt and a skirt that fell to just above the knees. She wore a frilly white apron over her outfit with the Patch logo on the part covering her chest. A white waitress head skirt(2) sat on top of her head. The outfit really showed off her nice figure and legs.

Hao gave the girl an appreciative once-over before walking to a table and sitting down. Yoh followed close behind his brother, eyes still on the waitress.

Kagome came to their table right away, them being the only customers in at the time. "My name's Higurashi Kagome," she said, "and I'll be your waitress. What would you like?"

Smiling at the girl, Hao ordered, "I'll have an espresso."

Writing the order down, the girl then turned to Yoh, "And what would you like?"

You scratched his head in thought, looking a little lost. "I've never really had coffee before. What's an espresso anyway?"

Hao briefly explained what the beverage was and Yoh was instantly turned off at the mention of it having a bitter taste.

"Kagome-san, is there something sweet that I can have?" Yoh asked.

Kagome smiled pleasantly at the boy, "I'll get you a cappuccino. I prefer sweet things, myself, so I usually have those."

Yoh smiled and said, "Okay, thanks."

"We'll have some curry bread, too," Hao added.

As the waitress left for the kitchen, the brothers watched her walk away. Hao looked at Yoh and smirked, "Nice girl, isn't she?"

Yoh turned his head to face Hao. "Yeah, she's very polite," he replied, completely missing the meaning behind Hao's words. Hao sighed and shook his head.

"Oh, Yoh," he said, sounding almost exasperated, "you're still such a child."

"Hey!" Yoh protested. "No, I'm not! Besides, you're the same age as I am." Hao raised one eyebrow. "... Okay, maybe you aren't really, but still!"

"Excuse me?"

The brothers looked up to see Kagome had returned with their caffeine and curry bread. Placing the platter down, she set the drinks in front of the boys and put the basket of curry bread in the centre of them.

Kagome smiled and said, "Enjoy!"

"We will, thank you," Hao said, adding a sensual tone to his voice while smiling at her. Kagome blushed a little before she quickly bowed and left. Yoh turned and frowned at his brother.

"Don't tease her like that," he said with a small tint of anger.

Hao shifted his eyes towards Yoh, but kept his head pointing in Kagome's direction. "Why? Don't tell me you're jealous, otouto," his smile morphed into a smirk when Yoh blushed and stuttered at Hao's words. "My, my, what would Anna say if she knew?"

Yoh paled at the thought of the blonde itako's wrath if she ever heard that he may like another girl. He could see it: she'd be standing over him, eyes glowing with a malicious yellow light while dark clouds gathered around her. Her two shikigami, formerly Hao's, standing on either side of her, their weapons brandished and aimed at him...

Suddenly, Yoh felt himself get flicked on the forehead and, still in his nightmarish fantasy, screamed at the contact. "Don't hurt me!" he yelled, cowering in his chair.

Hao watched his brother in amusement at what his small action did. He could clearly see Yoh's imagination at work with the help of Reishi. _'Yes, very much a child, indeed.'_ Leaning one arm on the table, he picked up his espresso and took a sip. "Yoh, as much as it entertains me to watch you squirm like this, I suggest you drink your cappuccino before it gets cold."

Yoh, remembering his drink, looked down at the brownish liquid in curiosity before picking the cup up. He took a quick sip and was instantly hit with a combination of both sweetness and bitterness. He had no idea if he liked it or not. It still made him reel back, though.

"Bleck, it's still bitter!" Yoh exclaimed. He could hear his older brother chuckling at his actions. "It's not funny," he sighed.

"Oh, but it is," Hao said. His eyes shifted to the front counter. "Even our lovely waitress thinks so."

Yoh turned his head and was greeted with one of the cutest sights he had ever seen. Kagome-chan was giggling quietly, holding one tiny hand up to her mouth to try and stifle the sounds. Her eyes were closed in humour and her shoulders were slightly bouncing. He could feel the heat seep into his cheeks at the sight. _'C-Cute!'_ his mind shouted in ecstasy.

"_Very _cute," Hao agreed aloud with an almost sinful caress in his tone. His eyes followed her movements like a lion watched its next meal.

Hao, having lived two previous lives, was rather experienced when it came to the opposite sex. He recognized a beautiful woman when he saw one and did not deny himself the luxury of fantasizing about a number of sinful situations. After all, even though he could read minds, no one could read his. Not to mention the young waitress was, indeed, a very beautiful specimen, one of the best he had seen in awhile. She was only in her early teens like Yoh, so he could only imagine what wonders the next few years would do to her already generous body.

Yoh's mind was much more innocent than his brother's. While he also thought she was attractive, no wicked thoughts came to his mind... okay, maybe a kiss or two did, but could you blame him?

"So are you going to ask her out or will I have the pleasure of doing so?" Hao asked. His tone was humorous, but he was completely serious.

Yoh jumped at the sudden forward question. "Are you crazy? That's like willingly walking down Death Row."

"If you're talking about Anna, I'm sure it cannot be that bad."

"Have you ever experienced one of her slaps before? Have you been given the Legendary Left?"

"... Point taken."

Yoh smiled in relief. His brother would understand his pain. They would just continue drinking their coffee and eating their curry bread like no-

"I guess that means she's mine for courting."

... His brother was a hormone-driven opportunist. No doubt about it.

"What?" Yoh cried in dismay. "I thought-,"

Hao smirked, "While you may have Anna to worry about, I don't have a fiancé that keeps me on a leash. At least not yet," Hao turned his eyes to where Kagome was supposed to be, but was disappointed when he saw no sign of her. She must have been in the back.

Yoh, either not getting the implication that his brother's words proposed or simply ignoring him, sighed in dismay. "It's so not fair. She probably doesn't slap as much as Anna does," the younger twin whined, absentmindedly fingering the bear-clawed necklace around his neck.

"No, she probably doesn't. Lucky me," the elder Asakura said in an almost cocky way. He watched in amusement as Yoh dropped his forehead onto the table and groaned.

It filled him with a small sense of awe at how the two of them were interacting. Not even two days ago they were enemies. Now they were sitting in a cafe, talking and teasing like the brothers they probably would have been if certain circumstances had been different. In a way it was rather sad.

"Excuse me?" Kagome spoke up as she returned to the twins' table. "Would you like refills?"

"Of course," Hao said and flashed the raven-haired beauty a charming grin. Kagome blushed at the handsome boy's smile and took his cup before turning to the younger twin.

"Would you like some more?"

"Actually, is there something else that's a little less bitter?" Yoh asked sheepishly.

"How about I pour a little more cream into your drink? Do you think that will help?"

"Uhh... Sure, thanks."

As Kagome turned to fetch more beverages for the customers she was suddenly stopped by the older one's voice.

"Kagome-san, may I have a word with you?" the long-haired boy asked.

Kagome cast a curious glance at him before replying, "Sure, mister..."

"Hao, Asakura Hao," he introduced himself. "I was wondering when you were let off work for the day."

"Um, in about two hours. Why?" Now Kagome was confused. Why would he want to know such a thing?

"You see, my otouto and I have never seen you around before so I can only assume that you have not been around the island too much," Hao explained. "Is that so?" He already knew she hadn't, seeing as the mind spoke before the mouth. Her reaction (or lack of) to his name was also a sign that she did not get around much. Very few on the island did not know his name or at least his infamous actions during the Shaman Fight.

"No actually," Kagome said in all honesty. "I've been working here almost full-time, so I haven't even really been sight-seeing, let alone seen a match of the Shaman Fight yet."

"Otouto has graciously agreed to give you a tour of Tokyo Island when your shift is over. Isn't that nice of him?" Hao smiled cheerfully and pretended to ignore Yoh, who had crossed his arms into an 'X' shape and was shaking his head frantically.

'_Are you CRAZY?'_ Yoh shouted in his mind. If Anna got word of this, or worse if she _saw_ them...! Kagome's voice broke his train of thoughts.

"Really?" She said, smiling brightly. "Oh, thank you, Yoh-kun. I'd love that." Kagome then proceeded to embrace Yoh happily. Yoh blushed at the intimate contact, but took a note of satisfaction when he noticed one of Hao's eyebrows twitch a little as he watched them.

Kagome broke the hug when she realized what she was doing. Blushing brightly from the contact with the cute boy, she coughed and said, "W-Well I guess I had better get back to work. You still need those refills." She speed-walked back into the kitchen.

Yoh remained in a daze as the memory of the hug kept coming back to him. Kagome was so close to him, he may have been able to ki-

Another forehead flick broke his thoughts as he lightly glared at his older brother. Hao simply shrugged, "I can read your thoughts and I certainly didn't want you to finish that sentence."

Yoh kept glaring as he rubbed his abused forehead. "If you were so jealous then why did you say that I was gonna escort her?"

"Now, now Otouto, I am not so childish as to experience jealousy-," _'Bullshit,'_ Yoh thought, "- but I do know how to eliminate the competition, and not just in regards to the Shaman Fight."

"Wait, what?" Yoh asked, confused.

Hao's smile suddenly seemed a little less friendly as he explained, "If I'm not mistaken, Anna usually frequents the tourist areas this day of the week. It would be quite the predicament if she caught you waltzing around with another woman, wouldn't it?"

Yoh's face suddenly gained an expression of horrifying realization. "You did take into account of Anna being there! You cheat!"

"All's fair in love and war, my dear Otouto, and you wouldn't make much of a suitor as a spirit, now would you?" Hao shot back casually.

The younger Asakura twin growled low in his throat. Standing up from his chair, he made a heroic stance as he pointed a finger at his bored-looking brother and declared, "Just you watch, Hao! It'll be the best date she's ever had!"

"Oh please," the older boy scoffed, "I have a thousand years' worth of experience under my belt... quite literally," he added that last part with a smirk on his face as he watched his twin cringe and say 'gross'. "I think I can show her a better time than you can by far."

"Then how about this: we each take her out for one official date, this one doesn't count since it wasn't planned. Whoever can impress her the most can be her boyfriend," Yoh said, leaning halfway over the table to make his glare more intimidating.

Hao chuckled smoothly as he placed his arm on the table, rested his head on his hand and also leaned forward. The brother's were now mere inches apart, glaring each other in the eye; Yoh's mouth set in a determined frown while Hao's retained its smirk. "It's a deal so long as you survive today's trip," Hao agreed.

After a full minute of the Asakura twins not breaking their glaring contest, Kagome returned with the refilled cups and new spoons. "Here you go. Please enjoy!"

"Thank you," the twins said at the exact same time, freaking Kagome out a little. She watched in awe as they reached for their cups and took a sip of their beverages, their movements exactly the same, without breaking eye contact.

'_This is one intense glaring match,'_ Kagome thought, scratching her head a bit.

"Well, prepare to be schooled, Hao!" Yoh shouted overdramatically. At the same time he was absentmindedly reaching for a piece of curry bread which, coincidently, was the last one...

FOOM!

"Kyaa! Yoh-kun, your hair's on fire!"

"Put it out! Gauuh! Put it out!"

"You had better go get a bucket of water, Kagome-san. Don't hesitate to dump the whole bucketful on him."

Winner of Round One: Hao, by a hair.

* * *

The Asakura twins faced yet another everyday dispute brothers usually had:

Trying to get the same girl.

Between the brothers, neither was willing to give her up without a fight.

* * *

**1. No joke, they both have curry bread as their favourite food.**

**2. Check out _Tokyo Mew Mew's_ Mew Mew Cafe uniforms. I'm talking about the head piece.**

**Dear God I am soooo sorry this is so late. My life has been busy as hell over the summer and returning to university and new classes and... the list goes on! Hopefully I won't hit that kind of spot for a while, now.**

**Anyway, hope you enjoyed it and R&R please! ::whisper:: Or SoF will burn your hair off, too! ::whisper::**


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